A little bit about me. I'm a powerlifter. I implement strongman movements into my programming often. I lift with bad intentions. I'm huge on intensity and aggression in the gym. I'm very straight forward. I'm a longtime fan of animal and am grateful for everything they are doing in the powerlifting world but I will be brutally honest about this product and every product I ever review, positive or negative. Lets get on to the first review entry for Rage XL.

Weight: 275 lbs. Height: 5'9"

Loved the taste. Mixability was very good. I usually mix with some kind of juice but for the first round I used 4 oz water. I used 1.5 scoops. I could feel it start to kick in a few minutes after drinking. I will be running 2 scoops for the remainder of the bottle. My aggression in the gym is, for the most part, typically off the charts so nothing was out of the norm here. The thing I did notice however was my focus seemed to be sharper than usual. I felt more dialed in than usual which was very nice. Session looked like this:

Extensions 3 sets of 30 (Just added these back in. I like these for the pump and for my knees)

Pullups: BW x 15 for 3 sets

Overall it was a great session. Everything moved great. I really enjoyed my first dose of RAGEXL. The extra focus was awesome. Hopefully adding the extra .5 scoop will be even sicker. Like I said I really enjoyed my first dose and not only look forward to the rest of this bottle but I look forward to purchasing more bottles after this one. Next session will be Saturday.

Swolepez

11-22-13, 2:49 am

Awesome bro, nice lifts!! I'm only using 1 scoop so far...might jack it up to 1.5 next wk. I can't wait to see how you feel off of 2 scoops!!

intoodeep25

11-22-13, 6:59 am

Awesome bro, nice lifts!! I'm only using 1 scoop so far...might jack it up to 1.5 next wk. I can't wait to see how you feel off of 2 scoops!!

Nice. I used to roll with 2 scoops of the old rage and the potency so far seems to be the same. Cant wait to run 2 scoops and see whats up. Thanks for stopping by.

J-Dawg

11-22-13, 10:26 am

Day 1: SKWATS

A little bit about me. I'm a powerlifter. I implement strongman movements into my programming often. I lift with bad intentions. I'm huge on intensity and aggression in the gym. I'm very straight forward. I'm a longtime fan of animal and am grateful for everything they are doing in the powerlifting world but I will be brutally honest about this product and every product I ever review, positive or negative. Lets get on to the first review entry for Rage XL.

Weight: 275 lbs. Height: 5'9"

Loved the taste. Mixability was very good. I usually mix with some kind of juice but for the first round I used 4 oz water. I used 1.5 scoops. I could feel it start to kick in a few minutes after drinking. I will be running 2 scoops for the remainder of the bottle. My aggression in the gym is, for the most part, typically off the charts so nothing was out of the norm here. The thing I did notice however was my focus seemed to be sharper than usual. I felt more dialed in than usual which was very nice. Session looked like this:

Extensions 3 sets of 30 (Just added these back in. I like these for the pump and for my knees)

Pullups: BW x 15 for 3 sets

Overall it was a great session. Everything moved great. I really enjoyed my first dose of RAGEXL. The extra focus was awesome. Hopefully adding the extra .5 scoop will be even sicker. Like I said I really enjoyed my first dose and not only look forward to the rest of this bottle but I look forward to purchasing more bottles after this one. Next session will be Saturday.

Nice! Sounds great so far with Rage XL. And those are some strong paused squats!

Jay

11-22-13, 11:22 am

Very strong squats. Nice review. Im seeing that the grape flavor is very similar to other Universal grape flavors? Have you tried Shock Therapy's grape flavor yet? Wonder how it compares.

intoodeep25

11-22-13, 5:15 pm

Very strong squats. Nice review. Im seeing that the grape flavor is very similar to other Universal grape flavors? Have you tried Shock Therapy's grape flavor yet? Wonder how it compares.

Yes extremely similar. I've used grape shock in the past and the nitro G and the taste is definitely similar if not almost identical.

intoodeep25

11-22-13, 5:19 pm

Nice! Sounds great so far with Rage XL. And those are some strong paused squats!

Thanks J. Paused squats are a staple in my program. I can always tell a huge difference between when they are in my routine and when they aren't.

intoodeep25

11-22-13, 5:26 pm

One thing I always notice with rage is I sometimes have a harder time sleeping the day I take it. I usually lift around 7pm and go to bed around 12:30am. First dose yesterday and not only did it take longer to wind down and fall asleep but I woke up a few times during the night (which wasn't so bad once I ate some double stuffed oreos and milk hahaha). These sleep issues don't seem to happen with other pre-wo's. Just an observation I thought I would document.

Swolepez

11-23-13, 12:10 am

One thing I always notice with rage is I sometimes have a harder time sleeping the day I take it. I usually lift around 7pm and go to bed around 12:30am. First dose yesterday and not only did it take longer to wind down and fall asleep but I woke up a few times during the night (which wasn't so bad once I ate some double stuffed oreos and milk hahaha). These sleep issues don't seem to happen with other pre-wo's. Just an observation I thought I would document.

That could potentially mean that Rage is stronger/more potent than other pre-workouts.....

intoodeep25

11-23-13, 8:37 pm

2nd session with the new ragexl. The mixability continues to surprise me. I put 2 full scoops in 5 oz water and it was completely dissolved in a few seconds. I haven't had any stomach problems so far with this stuff which is a plus. I don't know how much is accredited to ragexl but my overall mood seems to be enhanced a bit. Overall the product has been very nice so far. Now onto the session itself.

Bench: 430 x 2

Paused
Bench: 365 x 2 (3 seconds @ bottom)
x 2
x 2

Band
Pushdowns: 4 sets of 25 with black rogue band

Overall im pretty disappointed in this session. My bench has been crap lately. My upper body feels like garbage. Over the past few weeks my bench has actually gone down a good 30-40 lbs. My sessions typically have more to them as far as accessory work is concerned but today I cut it short in order to just get out of the gym and refuel and rest. I might take a little break from benching and focus on getting healthy for a week or two. Tonight calls for a dozen krispy kreme donuts and a few craft brews.

Even though the session was nothing to write home about, the new rage formula continues to impress. I like this stuff. The barbell should be scared of whats coming up on Monday. Between the bad session having 2 days to fester in my mind, rage xl, some crimson armada blaring over the garage gym speakers and a freshly popped ammonia cap it is definitely gonna get a little crazy. Stay tuned

Jay

11-25-13, 10:10 pm

Yes extremely similar. I've used grape shock in the past and the nitro G and the taste is definitely similar if not almost identical.

NICE.. good to know!

intoodeep25

11-26-13, 1:23 am

Dose #3. I think im starting to sour a little bit on the new formula. The old formula provided much more of an energy rush, which I loved. I don't feel as much with this stuff. Im also curious as to why the majority, if not all, of the ingredients were cut as far as dosage. I feel like the old stuff used to be like crack lol, down 1 or 2 scoops and I was buzzing, ready to rip something apart. I haven't had that kick in the pants reaction with ragexl yet. I love me some caffeine pre workout and im starting to wonder if this has a good amount less in it than the original and if so, why. I took 2 scoops again and even rubbed a little on my gums like an addict and still didn't really feel what I expected it to deliver. As far as the session itself im going to skip the details this time. Tomorrow will be dose #4. Hopefully the product will deliver a little more.

NickSP

11-26-13, 6:54 pm

J-dawg said that the caffeine was reduced, 1 scoop Rage was equal to about 3 cups of coffee and 1 scoop of XL is 2 cups, probably part of the reason why the old serving suggestion was just a scoop and now it's 1-2 scoops. I must say though, without having tried XL yet, I share your skepticism. As much I love UN/Animal, I don't really understand the changes, if someone wants this kind of formula they have Shock therapy. They seem basically the same now. I would have liked to see the old formula continue alongside the new one. Guess I'll have to just buy a tub of XL and see how it goes, then compare to the cheaper ST

intoodeep25

11-26-13, 10:49 pm

J-dawg said that the caffeine was reduced, 1 scoop Rage was equal to about 3 cups of coffee and 1 scoop of XL is 2 cups, probably part of the reason why the old serving suggestion was just a scoop and now it's 1-2 scoops. I must say though, without having tried XL yet, I share your skepticism. As much I love UN/Animal, I don't really understand the changes, if someone wants this kind of formula they have Shock therapy. They seem basically the same now. I would have liked to see the old formula continue alongside the new one. Guess I'll have to just buy a tub of XL and see how it goes, then compare to the cheaper ST

Exactly what I was thinking. Both were fitting to their brand. Shock therapy focused more on blood flow and pump with a little bit of energy to get the job done. Universal is a bodybuilding geared company and this fit the brand well. To me, Rage is for the strength athlete. Animal, to me, is geared towards strength athletes. The no nonsense, take a shot of rage to get lit old rage was perfect. I was hoping they would up the dosages, roll out some new flavors and that's it. Im a little disappointed with the way they changed things.

intoodeep25

11-26-13, 11:03 pm

Dose #4. 2 scoops. This time I mixed ragexl with some pineapple orange juice. Mixability was awesome in only 5 scoops of juice. Pretty impressive. Flavor is great with either water or juice. So far this stuff is getting the job done but I expected much more. I know ive already said it and I don't want to harp on it over and over but I miss the energy rush of the old rage formula. Onto the session itself. I typically bench twice a week and do log presses after bench work. My bench has been a bag of buttholes lately so I decided to have some fun and log press until I wanted to cry lol. Went like this:

Log Press :
290 x 1
290 x 1

255 x 5
255 x 5
205 x 10
205 x 10
205 x 8

Laterals: 2 sets of 50

Band
Pushdowns: 3 sets of 20

Front raise: 2 sets of 10

Fun session. My elbows are fried. I watched an interview with Robert Oberst (if you don't know who he is you need to, he's a boss) and he recommends heavy work first and then bombing the muscle with blood via volume and reps. Train the muscle then build the muscle. Ill be training like this for a while to see how I respond. So far I like it. Im hoping it will improve my log press. Overall rage got the job done but I feel like it could be better. Squats on Thursday. Brutal training + food, family and football = happiness.

intoodeep25

11-29-13, 3:55 pm

Well dose 5 was yesterday morning before the Thanksgiving day festivities. Training wasn't as good as I would have liked it to be but the rest of the day was a lot of fun. Next dose/training session will be tomorrow.

intoodeep25

12-04-13, 9:14 pm

Not done with the bottle but im ready to give my final review. Overall I think animal did rage a disservice by remaking it. Ragexl has been underwhelming. Not only did the ingredient amounts go down, but so did the servings per bottle. Rage is meant to be for the strength athlete: Jolt of energy and focus. The old formula delivered better than the new one. I plan on ordering a bottle of the old rage tonight, I wont be ordering more ragexl in the near future.

With that said I would like to say thank you to animal for the product. Although the review isn't a very positive one the company remains a class act and the best supplement company around. As much as I would have loved to give a glowing review and promote the product I feel like it would be doing this amazing company a disservice by not giving real feedback. Thank you for all the positive things you are doing in the powerlifting and strength community.

Swolepez

12-04-13, 11:59 pm

Hey bro sorry to hear Rage XL didn't work out as you hoped. You take 2 scoops of the original Rage correct?? If so, then I can see how the new Rage could be disappointing to you Bc I believe it would take 3 scoops of the new Rage to equal the energy of 2 scoops of the old Rage. 3 scoops would only last 10 days of the new Rage. Just make sure to stock up on the original Rage bc i don't think it will be made any longer.

Are you going to finish your tub of Rage XL??

intoodeep25

12-05-13, 12:53 am

Hey bro sorry to hear Rage XL didn't work out as you hoped. You take 2 scoops of the original Rage correct?? If so, then I can see how the new Rage could be disappointing to you Bc I believe it would take 3 scoops of the new Rage to equal the energy of 2 scoops of the old Rage. 3 scoops would only last 10 days of the new Rage. Just make sure to stock up on the original Rage bc i don't think it will be made any longer.

Are you going to finish your tub of Rage XL??

Yes 1.5 - 2 scoops of the original rage. Yes I will be finishing the new tub of rage. This product is not a horrible product by any means. The message im trying to relay is that, when compared to the original, it leaves me wanting more. At the end of the day if this is supposed to be RAGEXL and the new and improved version it needs to actually be an improvement. To me it isn't, and that is why it failed. If the new rage were stacked up against competitors products itd be a different story. Im comparing it to the old version of itself.

Swolepez

12-05-13, 2:08 am

Yes 1.5 - 2 scoops of the original rage. Yes I will be finishing the new tub of rage. This product is not a horrible product by any means. The message im trying to relay is that, when compared to the original, it leaves me wanting more. At the end of the day if this is supposed to be RAGEXL and the new and improved version it needs to actually be an improvement. To me it isn't, and that is why it failed. If the new rage were stacked up against competitors products itd be a different story. Im comparing it to the old version of itself.

Yeah bro, I understand what your saying. Luckily for me the old rage hit me good with 1 scoop so with the new Rage, 1.5 scoops gives me good energy and a good pump which I didn't get from the original. BUT I do wish 1 scoop would hit me the same Bc the new Rage will run out faster but overall I'm still getting great energy from it, I just hope I don't build a tolerance.

D-NUTZ

12-07-13, 8:21 pm

Not done with the bottle but im ready to give my final review. Overall I think animal did rage a disservice by remaking it. Ragexl has been underwhelming. Not only did the ingredient amounts go down, but so did the servings per bottle. Rage is meant to be for the strength athlete: Jolt of energy and focus. The old formula delivered better than the new one. I plan on ordering a bottle of the old rage tonight, I wont be ordering more ragexl in the near future.

With that said I would like to say thank you to animal for the product. Although the review isn't a very positive one the company remains a class act and the best supplement company around. As much as I would have loved to give a glowing review and promote the product I feel like it would be doing this amazing company a disservice by not giving real feedback. Thank you for all the positive things you are doing in the powerlifting and strength community.

Yes 1.5 - 2 scoops of the original rage. Yes I will be finishing the new tub of rage. This product is not a horrible product by any means. The message im trying to relay is that, when compared to the original, it leaves me wanting more. At the end of the day if this is supposed to be RAGEXL and the new and improved version it needs to actually be an improvement. To me it isn't, and that is why it failed. If the new rage were stacked up against competitors products itd be a different story. Im comparing it to the old version of itself.

Im kinda feeling the same way bro. Great product compared to other companies, but IMO it's not "XL" compared to the old rage. Flavor is kick ass and I like the inclusion of Creatine Mono...focus is up to par....but energy is lacking.

Takes 1.5-2 scoops XL to = 1 scoop original..which is fine...but the new containers are 14 less servings and is almost the same price so its a little less cost effective too.